Adjustable lantern bracket for boats

ABSTRACT

A bracket for supporting a gasoline lantern in an oarlock socket of a boat has a circular band for embracing the bottom of the lantern and a U-shaped strap pendantly secured at its ends to the band to provide a floor for the lantern. Two loops of compressible material are slideably secured on the band and an inverted U-shaped clip has a thumbscrew therethrough and threaded through one leg of the strap for forcing the lantern base toward the loops. A bent washer is welded to the bottom center of the strap and a pendant rod adapted to be contained in the oarlock socket is secured to the washer by a thumbscrew through the upper end of the rod and threaded through the pendant portion of the washer so that the angular disposition of the bracket can be adjusted.

United States Patent 1 Bovenzi Aug. 14,1973

[76] Inventor: Joseph L. Bovenzi, 209 Douglas St.,

Syracuse, NY. 13203 [22] Filed: Jan. 7, 1972 [21] App]. No.1 216,196

Primary Eraminer-Milton Buchler Assistant EmminerGregory W. O'Connor Attorney-Bruns & Jenney ABSTRACT i A bracket for supporting a gasoline lantern in an oarlock socket of a boat has a circular band for embracing the bottom of the lantern and a U-shaped strap pendantly secured at its ends to the band to provide a floor for the lantern. Two loops of compressible material are slideably secured on the band and an inverted U- shaped clip has a thumbscrew therethrough and threaded through one leg of the strap for forcing the lantern base toward the loops. A bent washer is welded to the bottom center of the strap and a pendant rod adapted to be contained in the oarlock socket is secured to the washer by a thumbscrew through the upper end of the rod and threaded through the pendant portion of the washer so that the angular disposition of the bracket can be adjusted.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ADJUSTABLE LANTERN BRACKET FOR BOATS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a bracket adapted to be secured to a boat for receiving and securing therein a gasoline lantern. More particularly, it relates to such a bracket which is simply constructed, is mountable in the oarlock socket of a boat, and is angularly adjustable with respect to the boat.

The use of lanterns for night fishing has long been popular and many brackets for securing a lantern to the boat have been known. The prior art brackets, however, have been complicated in construction, timeconsuming to secure to the boat, and difficult to adjust angularly.

In fishing, it is desirable that the lantern light be directed away from the boat and its occupants and it is preferable that the light be directed downward toward the water to attract fish and to minimize the attraction of the light for insects. The object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a bracket for receiving a selected size and type of lantern which is economically made, easily affixed to the boat, easily adjusted, and which securely grips the lantern.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The bracket of the invention is designed to receive and firmly secure the base of a well-known, commercially available gasoline lantern and has a pendant rod adapted to be received in the oarlock socket of a conventional rowboat whereby the lantern is positioned at the gunwale of the boat for directing light at the water and within easy reach for adjustment.

The portion for receiving the circular base of the lantern consists of two parts, a circular band for encircling the lantern base and a strap bent into a U-shape and having the ends of its legs welded to the band so that the lantern base rests thereon.

Means for securing the lantern comprises two loops of textile material around the circular band and slideable therealong and a thumbscrew threaded through one of the legs of the strap. The thumbscrew includes a pressure collar adjacent the finger-engaging portion of the thumbscrew and an inverted-U-shaped pressure clip is secured straddling the circular band by the thumbscrew passing through one leg of the clip. As the thumbscrew is tightened, its collar exerts pressure on this leg of the clip forcing the other end of the clip against the lantern base. The two loops are positioned so that the lantern base is forced against the loops when the thumbscrew is tightened.

The pendant oarlock-socket-engaging rod may be adjustably secured to a member welded pendantly to the bottom center of the U-shaped strap. Another pressure-collar-bearing thumbscrew passes through the upper end of the rod and is threaded into the pendant member welded to the strap. When this second thumbscrew is tightened, the rod is locked to the pendant member and, when the thumbscrew is loosened, the angular disposition of the bracket may be adjusted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a gasoline lantern secured in one embodiment of a bracket according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of another embodiment of the bracket;

FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof; and FIG. 4 is a side elevational view thereof, the bracket being rotated from the position shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a widely known and commercially available gasoline lantern 10 is shown engaged in bracket 11 which has an oarlock-engaging rod 12 buttwelded to the bottom thereof, as shown.

Lantern 10 has a handle or bail 13, a reflector 14 and a circular base 15 which serves as the fuel tank of the lantern. The upper portion of bracket 11.is exactly the same as the bracket 11' of FIGS. 2 and 4 except that the oarlock-socket-engaging rod 12 of the latter Figures is adjustably secured to bracket upper portion, as hereinafter described, and the upper portions of the bracket 11' in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 have'been given the same reference numbers as like portions of bracket 11.

The lantern-base supporting portion of both brackets 11 and 11 consist of two members welded together, a circular metallic band 16 and a broader U-shaped metal strap 17 against which the lantern base rests. The upturned legs of strap 17 are welded at their tops to the band 16 at 18 and 19, as shown in FIG. 3. In welding, the ends of the band 16 are spaced at 20 is indicated in FIG. 4, for a reason to become apparent.

Means for securing the lantern base 15 in the bracket comprise two loops 21 of a compressible material such as textile Nylon belting, best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ends of the loops being secured together by rivets at 22 as shown in FIG. 4. The loops 2] loosely surround band 16 on either side of one of the legs of strap 17 so that the loops are slideable on the band.

An inverted U-shaped clip 23 is secured to the bracket by a thumbscrew 24 passing through a hole in one leg of the clip and threadedly engaged with strap 17 between the ends 20 of the band 16. Since the band is not welded at this point there is no problem with drilling and threading the hole through which the threaded thumbscrew shank passes. Thumbscrew 24 may conveniently be an eye bolt and is given apressure-exerting collar by screwing a nut 25 down against the eye of the thumbscrew, as shown. When thumbscrew 24 is tightened, nut 25 forces the inner leg of clip 23 against lantern base 15 and forces the base against the loops 21,21.

The rod 12 of bracket 11 in FIG. 1 is butt-welded to the bottom of strap 17 at its center, as shown in FIG. 1.

For adjustably securing rod 12 to the top portion of the bracket in the modified bracket 11' of FIGS. 2 and 4, a pendant member is welded to the bottom of strap 17. This pendant member may conveniently be a 2 inch washer 26 which has a portion bent at 90 to the rest of the washer and welded to strap 17, as shown at 27 in FIG. 4.

The pendant support rod 12' of the bracket 11' has one end 28 ground flat, as shown in FIG. 4, and another thumbscrew 29 passes through a hole through the flatted end 28 and is threaded through a hole in the pendant portion of the washer 26. Thumbscrew 29 is also provided with a pressure collar 30 and a star-washer 31 is interposed between rod end 28 and the bent washer 26.

To remove lantern 10 from bracket 11, thumbscrew 24- is loosened, loops 21 are manually slid toward the 3 thumbscrew 24 to prevent interference with the flaring bottom flange 32 of base 15, and the lantern is removed.

To operate the angular adjustment of bracket 11', after support rod 12' has been engaged in its oarlocksocket support, thumbscrew 29 is loosened, the bracket angularly adjusted, and the thumbscrew again tightened, the star-washer 31 ensuring that the bracket remains in locked position. Since rod 12' can be rotated in its socket the bracket 11' can be regulated to any desired angular position.

I claim:

' l. A bracket for securing a gasoline lantern having a circular base in an oarlock-socket of a boat, comprising: a circular band for surrounding the lantern base, a U-shaped strap having its upturned legs secured to the band at diametrically opposite areas, an inverted-U- shaped clip having downtumed legs straddling the band and one of the upturned legs of the strap, a thumbscrew extending through a hole in the outer downtumed clip leg and threadedly engaged in a hole through the one upturned leg of said strap, at least one loop of compressible material surrounding the band, the thumbscrew having a pressure collar secured therearound adjacent its finger-engaging portion, the collar exerting pressure on the outer clip leg when the thumbscrew is tightened and forcing the other clip leg against the lantern base and the base against said loop, and a pendant rod adapted to engage an oarlock-socket of a boat having its upper end secured to the strap at its center.

2. A bracket for securing a gasoline lantern having a circular base in an oarlock-socket of a boat, comprising: a circular band for surrounding the lantern base. a U-shaped strap having its upturned legs secured to the band at diametrically opposite areas, an inverted U' shaped clip having downtumed legs straddling the band and one of the upturned strap legs, a thumbscrew extending through a hole in the outer downtumed clip leg and threadedly engaged in a hole through one upturned leg of said strap, a pair of loops of compressible material surrounding the band on either side of the other upturned leg of said strap, the thumbscrew having a pressure collar secured therearound adjacent its fingerengaging portion, the collar exerting pressure on the outer clip leg when the thumbscrew is tightened and forcing the other clip leg against the lantern base and the base against said loops, a pendant member secured to the strap at its center, a rod adapted to engage an oarlock-socket of a boat, the upper end of the rod having a hole therethrough, and a second thumbscrew having a pressure collar passing through the rod hole and threadedly engaged in a hole through the pendant member, whereby the lantern may be quickly engaged with the bracket and the bracket easily adjusted angularly to the boat. 

1. A bracket for securing a gasoline lantern having a circular base in an oarlock-socket of a boat, comprising: a circular band for surrounding the lantern base, a U-shaped strap having its upturned legs secured to the band at diametrically opposite areas, an inverted-U-shaped clip having downturned legs straddling the band and one of the upturned legs of the strap, a thumbscrew extending through a hole in the outer downturned clip leg and threadedly engaged in a hole through the one upturned leg of said strap, at least one loop of compressible material surrounding the band, the thumbscrew having a pressure collar secured therearound adjacent its finger-engaging portion, the collar exerting pressure on the outer clip leg when the thumbscrew is tightened and forcing the other clip leg against the lantern base and the base against said loop, and a pendant rod adapted to engage an oarlock-socket of a boat having its upper end secured to the strap at its center.
 2. A bracket for securing a gasoline lantern having a circular base in an oarlock-socket of a boat, comprising: a circular band for surrounding the lantern base, a U-shaped strap having its upturned legs secured to the band at diametrically opposite areas, an inverted U-shaped clip having downturned legs straddling the band and one of the upturned strap legs, a thumbscrew extending through a hole in the outer downturned clip leg and threadedly engaged in a hole through one upturned leg of said strap, a pair of loops of compressible material surrounding the band on either side of the other upturned leg of said strap, the thumbscrew having a pressure collar secured therearound adjacent its finger-engaging portion, the collar exerting pressure on the outer clip leg when the thumbscrew is tightened and forcing the other clip leg against the lantern base and the base against said loops, a pendant member secured to the strap at its center, a rod adapted to engage an oarlock-socket of a boat, the upper end of the rod having a hole therethrough, and a second thumbscrew having a pressure collar passing through the rod hole and threadedly engaged in a hole through the pendant member, whereby the lantern may be quickly engaged with the bracket and the bracket easily adjusted angularly to the boat. 